The 40-Year-Old Shopper

I recently read a nice article, whose title I stole for this blog post, in Esquire magazine by Mike Albo. Though he is writing from a man's point of view, many of his observations hold true for women as well. I found this statement particularly true: "It's not an easy transition, this turning-forty thing, but when you know where to find classic clothing with just enough originality to keep things interesting, it can get a little easier."

The only problem is in trying to find wonderful clothing! Jeez! Women in Europe, Japan, and Great Britain, among those in other countries, do not seem in a quandary about where to purchase clothing. They look chic and polished, season after season, without seeming to try very hard. Why does the U.S. have a dearth of clothing for the 40+ crowd? Yeah, we have a plethora of stores that cater to the frumpy, dowdy, matronly woman, and the "I want to wear what my daughter wears" crowd, but what about the rest of us?

Though the search for these elusive stores for 40+ women continues, we can aspire to the ideal in Albo's final paragraph: "In the end, a midlifer ends up becoming an expert shopper, whether he means to or not. . . He gives every article of clothing a ruthless look in the dressing room. . . He makes wise investments. And he does it all with a healthy sense of humor."